KPHA Ice Hawks end pool play with another win

3 wins put U16 squad into championship bracket

The Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association Under-16 Ice Hawks finished off an impressive three days of pool play at the Tier II National Championships in Troy, Mich., on Friday morning, defeating Huntsville (Ala.) 7-4.

The win gives the Ice Hawks three wins in three days, leaving them with a possible eight points out of nine, and the top of their four-team group. The only point the team left off the table was due to an overtime win over the Utah Grizzlies on Thursday.

The success has also given the Hawks the number four seed in the Tier II Championship bracket, and will face the fifth-seeded Greensboro Stars (N.C.) in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 10:15 a.m. (6:15 a.m. ADT).

On Friday, the Ice Hawks had to rally back from an early two goal deficit to take the win over the Chargers.

The turning point in the game came with two seconds left in the second period, when Trevor Wagoner score for Kenai to tie it up at 4-4.

The Ice Hawks took their first lead of the game with 14 minutes, 12 seconds left on a powerplay goal from Jake Eubank. Tommy Bowe and Eubank added two insurance goals later in the period.

Bowe, Eubank and Wagoner each ended up with four points in the game — Bowe and Eubank had two goals and two assists each, and Wagoner had a goal and three assists.